What’s new

August 2016 update

Another 75 items have been added to the Virtual Library, bringing the total number of items to over 500, representing over 150 languages ... read more

How to use this Virtual Library

To find a resource, use search, or choose a state, language or category on the left (see Help for more information).

Or: find items by year of first listing in this Virtual Library:

Select a year:
Notes: these are the dates of first entry - most items have since been updated. The number of current items is less than the sum added over the years because web pages also disappear. The Library was founded in 1996 but entry dates were not recorded until 1998.

RESULTS: 154 ITEMS FOR STATE/REGION NT

Archive deposit: documentation of 28 different Arandic song series and/or song styles from the northern Arandic group of languages of Central Australia, including Arandic people’s interpretations of the songs and their broader meanings, and linguistic and musical features of the performances and the song interpretations. Represents languages Kaytetye, Alyawarr, Anmatyerr, Eastern Arrernte and Warlpiri. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

An online resource for teaching and learning the sign languages used in Indigenous communities in Central Australia. This site contains several hundred video clips of signs. The project was piloted by members of the sign language team from Ti Tree in Central Australia. You need to register (free) to access the sign dictionaries.

Media group from Yuendemu. Over 25 years of producing TV, radio and music. A key role of PAW Media is the production of media content in languages to support languages including Alyawarr, (Eastern) Arrernte, Luritja, Warumungu, Anmatyerr, Gurindji, Kaytetye, Pintubi, and Warlpiri. See the Productions page for their wide range of outputs, including Bush Mechanics.

Information and resources about innovative ‘sound printed’ books developed through the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. Catalogue of talking books, plus information about the technology and downloadable audio.

Archive deposit: audio and annotated texts from a range of genres, from the Minjilang community on Croker Island. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

A linguist’s experience of working with the language Anindilyakwa, providing an introduction to the Warnindilyakwa people and their language. An item from Fully (sic), Crikey’s language blog, which features several posts on Australian languages.

Archive deposit: documentation of 28 different Arandic song series and/or song styles from the northern Arandic group of languages of Central Australia, including Arandic people’s interpretations of the songs and their broader meanings, and linguistic and musical features of the performances and the song interpretations. Represents languages Kaytetye, Alyawarr, Anmatyerr, Eastern Arrernte and Warlpiri. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

Information and resources about innovative ‘sound printed’ books developed through the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. Catalogue of talking books, plus information about the technology and downloadable audio.

Archive deposit: documentation of 28 different Arandic song series and/or song styles from the northern Arandic group of languages of Central Australia, including Arandic people’s interpretations of the songs and their broader meanings, and linguistic and musical features of the performances and the song interpretations. Represents languages Kaytetye, Alyawarr, Anmatyerr, Eastern Arrernte and Warlpiri. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

A 2 year course providing knowledge and skills for culturally informed language work, documentation, maintenance, recovery and revitalisation. Students also learn the basics of an Indigenous language (Yolngu or Arrernte), and understand how language is embedded within culture. The course prepares students for professional practice and further study in language and linguistics, and in Indigenous language planning and policy at local and national levels.

Christobel Swann is a Conservationist who works as an Aboriginal Linguist in Alice Springs. She gives a personal and community perspective on the state of languages, especially her own, southern Arrernte.

Dictionary consists of approximately 4000 headwords. Burarra is spoken by the Burarra and Gun-nartpa people (approximately 600 speakers) in the Blyth and Cadell River regions and in the town of Maningrida in North-Central Arnhem Land.

Archive deposit: recordings of Gun-nartpa (a Burarra dialect) speakers in the Cadell river region of north-central Arnhem Land from a range of ages. Time-aligned annotations will be added. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols, and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

A range of materials for Burarra, Ndjébbana, Kuninjku, Gurr-goni, Djina&eng; and other languages of the Maningrida area, including links to dictionaries, wordlists, story books and learning materials - many online. Also see a bibliography (PDF).

Information and resources about innovative ‘sound printed’ books developed through the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. Catalogue of talking books, plus information about the technology and downloadable audio.

A downloadable PDF containing detalled descriptions and translations of legal terms in plain English and in Yol&eng;u Matha. A translation of the The Plain English Legal Dictionary into Djambarrpuy&eng;u, the main Yol&eng;u dialect spoken in the Arnhem Land townships of Galiwin’ku, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi and Ramingining.

Richard Birrinbirrin speaks in Djinang about Djirrididi body painting and relates part of the Djan’kawu Sisters’ story. Richard starred in the film Ten Canoes and is an artist, songman and community leader at Ramingining.

Archive deposit: documentation of 28 different Arandic song series and/or song styles from the northern Arandic group of languages of Central Australia, including Arandic people’s interpretations of the songs and their broader meanings, and linguistic and musical features of the performances and the song interpretations. Represents languages Kaytetye, Alyawarr, Anmatyerr, Eastern Arrernte and Warlpiri. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

Archive deposit: resources for an annotated and illustrated Golpa (Elcho Island, NT) story book based on audio recordings made in the 1960s by B. Schebeck and more recent recordings by the depositor. The narrator of the older texts is the father of today’s Golpa consultants. Narratives focus on a description of the languages used by different clans in the Ganba?tji area (comprising Elcho Island, Wessel Islands and Cape Wessels). Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

A range of materials for Burarra, Ndjébbana, Kuninjku, Gurr-goni, Djina&eng; and other languages of the Maningrida area, including links to dictionaries, wordlists, story books and learning materials - many online. Also see a bibliography (PDF).

Information and resources about innovative ‘sound printed’ books developed through the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. Catalogue of talking books, plus information about the technology and downloadable audio.

Bininj Gunwok refers to six mutually intelligible dialects stretching from Kakadu National Park south to Pine Creek and Manyallaluk, and east across the Arnhem Land plateau. This site has a wonderful array of information about Kunwinjku and related languages, including maps, texts, grammar, phrases with audio, publications, and photos. Notably, all the menus and much of the information is in Kunwinjku.

Kunwinjku people recognise and name 6 seasons. Traditional Owners from Kunbarlanja (Gunbalanya) in western Arnhem Land have documented Kunwinjku knowledge of the seasons and the environment in a calendar.

An account from Murray Garde about language misunderstandings between government representatives and Kunwinjku-speaking Bininj people about township leasing at Gunbalanya leading to serious misrepresentation of the wishes of the community and traditional owners.

Glottolog’s resource page for Gupapuyngu, a Yolngu language of NT. The page shows Gupapuyngu’s location on a map, its place within its language family, and a large number of references for the language (most are harvested from bibliographic sources and the items are not necessarily online). See also the main Glottolog page.

Site with a range of information about Yolngu culture, language, placenames, and about 30 songs. The whole site may be viewed in Yolngu matha, English, or Japanese. Note: the media may require browser plugins.

The Gupapuy&eng;u app is part of the courseware developed for teaching Yol&eng;u languages and culture at Charles Darwin University. It was first released in 2001 as a CD-ROM based application. Version 3.0 has been completely redesigned, with many usability improvements, and updated to run on the latest Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

A historical film by Film Australia, made in 1975, about the establishment of bilingual programs in NT schools. It shows a bilingual education program in Millingimbi, NT, with commentary by Beulah Lowe. Another segment shows Warlpiri literacy learning in Yuendemu, and Pintupi in Yayayi near Papunya.

A short film where members of the Galiwin’u community recount and re-enact in story and song an incident from the 1960’s when six year old twin boys from Elcho Island, were hunting with their family and got lost for 3 days and nights.

Research following 5-10 children and their families in 3 communities from 2004-2007, to study the language input children receive in multilingual environments. Languages include Gurindji, Kriol, Walmajarri, Warlpiri and Warramungu. See also the second phase of the project which focuses on language issues when children enter the formal school system.

Archive deposit: audio and video recordings of Gurindji Kriol, which fuses Gurindji with Kriol. It is an important language for younger Gurindji people, and is significant linguistically, with a rarely-observed mixed structure. Gurindji Kriol is increasingly being replaced by Kriol among Gurindji teenagers. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

A community project based on Croker Island which documents, maintains, preserves and promotes Iwaidja and other endangered languages of the local region (Amurdak, Marrku). Has a great range of books in/about languages, music, photos, phone app, and videos in languages.

A short film where senior Iwaidja speaker Ngalwangardi aju Minjilang (1946-2012) talks in Iwaidja about the pressure on her language. She describes consequences of the 2009 policy of the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training to marginalize the use of indigenous languages in schools.

The Ma! Iwaidja app is an initiative of the Minjilang Endangered Languages Publication project (Iwaidja Inyman), based on Croker Island NT. One of the first mobile apps for an Australian language, it has words and audio for Iwaidja vocabulary and phrases, and also allows users to produce and upload additional material.

Archive deposit: documentation of 28 different Arandic song series and/or song styles from the northern Arandic group of languages of Central Australia, including Arandic people’s interpretations of the songs and their broader meanings, and linguistic and musical features of the performances and the song interpretations. Represents languages Kaytetye, Alyawarr, Anmatyerr, Eastern Arrernte and Warlpiri. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

An online resource for teaching and learning the sign languages used in Indigenous communities in Central Australia. This site contains several hundred video clips of signs. The project was piloted by members of the sign language team from Ti Tree in Central Australia. You need to register (free) to access the sign dictionaries.

Research following 5-10 children and their families in 3 communities from 2004-2007, to study the language input children receive in multilingual environments. Languages include Gurindji, Kriol, Walmajarri, Warlpiri and Warramungu. See also the second phase of the project which focuses on language issues when children enter the formal school system.

In this interview by Waleed Aly, Felicity Meakins describes Kriol, a language spoken by about 20,000 people across northern Australia. It has regional varieties, such as Gurindji Kriol described in this interview.

Dickson notes that about 20,000 people speak Kriol, but it is rarely acknowledged. This very readable article gives the background to the language, argues for greater recogntition, and notes its recent emergence into the public sphere, including daily ABC news broadcasts, and a translation of Shakespear’s King Lear by Tom E. Lewis. There is also a version of Waltzing Matilda sung in Kriol (Waltjim Bat Matilda) by Ali Mills.

The Ngukurr Language Centre aims to revitalise, document, teach and promote the traditional languages of the community via community-based language programs. The innovative site is presented in Kriol and also has information about other languages including the Ngalakgan Online Dictionary.

Members of the Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) language group, from the Darwin and surrounding region in the Northern Territory, worked with CSIRO to create a calendar using their seasonal knowledge, which divides the year into 7 seasons. See also Larrakia Calendar.

A historical film by Film Australia, made in 1975, about the establishment of bilingual programs in NT schools. It shows a bilingual education program in Millingimbi, NT, with commentary by Beulah Lowe. Another segment shows Warlpiri literacy learning in Yuendemu, and Pintupi in Yayayi near Papunya.

MalakMalak traditional owners from the Daly River region in the Northern Territory worked with CSIRO to create a seasonal calendar of plant knowledge,describes food and medicine plants and the MalakMalak seasons when they are collected.

Archive deposit: focussed on dictionary definitions of triangular kinship terms and names for flora and fauna and associated knowledge. The deposit also includes audio recordings of myths and stories about traditional customs. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols, and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

Mawng-English dictionary (as online interactive or as downloadable PDF, together with English-Mawng finderlist), together with many video and audio stories videos and sound recordings. Also some downladable posters on fish, shells and plant medicine.

The Glossary shows non-Murrinhpatha speakers (including judges, lawyers, police etc) how English legal terms are rendered in Murrinhpatha. It is also a tool for Murrinhpatha legal interpreters and the people of the Thamarrurr region. Written in in collaboration with Wadeye elders Frank Dumoo and Claude Narjic, it is based on earlier work by Michael Walsh and Chester Street. See also this associated paper.

An introductory guide to some words and phrases of Murrinhpatha, the main language spoken at Wadeye, Northern Territory. The content is conveniently organised by theme and place, e.g. Health Clinic, Shop etc. and includes audio.

This site documents the history, language and music of public songs and dances composed and performed at Wadeye, NT (aka Port Keats). You can search the database, listen to songs and see information about the singers, translations, and other musicological documentation. Some of the recordings are for community access only or are not publicly available, but you can apply for access. See also the Murrinh-Patha song project description.

A range of materials for Burarra, Ndjébbana, Kuninjku, Gurr-goni, Djina&eng; and other languages of the Maningrida area, including links to dictionaries, wordlists, story books and learning materials - many online. Also see a bibliography (PDF).

Application of computer assisted learning among the Kunibidji, focusing on the use of electronic talking books in Ndjébbana displayed on touch-screens, to look at the potential for language learning and cultural understanding.

This page hosts a downlodable PDF document called Uti Kulintjaku: A compendium of words for talking about mental health. It includes terms in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra, as well as translations from English into these languages.

The Ngukurr Language Centre aims to revitalise, document, teach and promote the traditional languages of the community via community-based language programs. The innovative site is presented in Kriol and also has information about other languages including the Ngalakgan Online Dictionary.

Ngan’gi knowledge holders from the Nauiyu Nambiyu community in the Daly River region NT worked with CSIRO to create a seasonal calendar. The calendar identifies the 13 seasons, which are named according to speargrass life stages, and represents a wealth of Indigenous ecological knowledge. [Unfortunately the link to the season poster is currently broken - January 2016]

This page hosts a downlodable PDF document called Uti Kulintjaku: A compendium of words for talking about mental health. It includes terms in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra, as well as translations from English into these languages.

Ara Irititja brings back home materials of cultural and historical significance to Anangu (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people of Central Australia). These include photographs, films, sound recordings and documents. Ara Irititja has designed a digital archive to store repatriated materials and other contemporary items.

An online resource for teaching and learning the sign languages used in Indigenous communities in Central Australia. This site contains several hundred video clips of signs. The project was piloted by members of the sign language team from Ti Tree in Central Australia. You need to register (free) to access the sign dictionaries.

Interview with Ted Egan, the Administrator of the Northern Territory. Ted speaks about how he learnt Tiwi from Aloysius Puantulura. Is Ted the first non-Aboriginal executive to speak an Australian language? (Sir Douglas Nicholls was the Aboriginal Governor of South Australia and was a "Dja Dja Wurrung, Wotjoboluk, and Yupagalk man" [http://www.vaeai.org.au/timeline/1901.html]).

Traditional Owners from the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin in the Northern Territory, worked with CSIRO to create a calendar of Tiwi seasonal ecological knowledge and a calendar of plants and animals. The Tiwi people have 3 main seasons and 13 minor seasons in their calendar.

Justin Puruntatameri witnessed events of World War II from the Tiwi Islands. Tiwi people saw Japanese planes overhead and tried to send Darwin a warning. Shortly after, Darwin was bombed. Justin Puruntatameri documents this history, together with Tiwi dance and song.

A Wikipedia article on the Wagiman language. Wikipedia has an increasing number of pages on Indigenous languages. They can be useful sources, but vary greatly in quality and tend to be rather oriented toward technical linguistic description. This Wagiman page is one of the most comprehensive of them.

Research following 5-10 children and their families in 3 communities from 2004-2007, to study the language input children receive in multilingual environments. Languages include Gurindji, Kriol, Walmajarri, Warlpiri and Warramungu. See also the second phase of the project which focuses on language issues when children enter the formal school system.

Research following 5-10 children and their families in 3 communities from 2004-2007, to study the language input children receive in multilingual environments. Languages include Gurindji, Kriol, Walmajarri, Warlpiri and Warramungu. See also the second phase of the project which focuses on language issues when children enter the formal school system.

Archive deposit: documentation of 28 different Arandic song series and/or song styles from the northern Arandic group of languages of Central Australia, including Arandic people’s interpretations of the songs and their broader meanings, and linguistic and musical features of the performances and the song interpretations. Represents languages Kaytetye, Alyawarr, Anmatyerr, Eastern Arrernte and Warlpiri. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols and access may require negotiation with the depositor.

An online resource for teaching and learning the sign languages used in Indigenous communities in Central Australia. This site contains several hundred video clips of signs. The project was piloted by members of the sign language team from Ti Tree in Central Australia. You need to register (free) to access the sign dictionaries.

The ABC, with the help of the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (NT), is trialling an Indigenous language News Service in Warlpiri and Yolngu Matha. Two ABC news bulletins are recorded each weekday. The daily bulletins can be heard on this page, with recent bulletins on SoundCloud, and on some Indigenous radio stations.

Innovative storytelling using video and animation. It tells about when Warlpiri came across a European camp and found alternative uses for their tents. Animated by Jason Japaljarri Woods using sand drawing, clay and found objects.

A historical film by Film Australia, made in 1975, about the establishment of bilingual programs in NT schools. It shows a bilingual education program in Millingimbi, NT, with commentary by Beulah Lowe. Another segment shows Warlpiri literacy learning in Yuendemu, and Pintupi in Yayayi near Papunya.

Bess Nungarrayi Price has defied the Northern Territory parliament to deliver a speech in Warlpiri. Ms price said ‘My first language is Warlpiri which is one of the family of languages that came to this land 50,000 years ago, tens of millennia before Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet.’

Information and resources about innovative ‘sound printed’ books developed through the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. Catalogue of talking books, plus information about the technology and downloadable audio.

Archive deposit: six traditional Warlpiri love songs, called yilpinji, sung by Teddy Morrison Jupurrurla, and two ceremonial initiation songs, sung by Peter Dixon Japanangka and a group of elder men. Includes transcribed and translated video and audio files.

Research following 5-10 children and their families in 3 communities from 2004-2007, to study the language input children receive in multilingual environments. Languages include Gurindji, Kriol, Walmajarri, Warlpiri and Warramungu. See also the second phase of the project which focuses on language issues when children enter the formal school system.

The radio program and audio podcast Pinarra Aku created by Kathy Burns and Rosemary Plummer, a teacher and traditional owner, teaches children from the Barkly region about Warumungu language and culture. This page has links to streaming and downloadable audio programs.

This article describes strategies used by Warumungu speakers to create new words and ways of expressing new concepts. Originally published as: Simpson, Jane. 1985. How Warumungu people express new concepts. Language in Central Australia 4:12-25

Archive deposit: over 140 audio and video recordings of speakers of Yan-nha&eng;u, made at Milingimbi, Arnhem Land, during fieldwork in 2007. Includes some translations into English and Djambarrpuyngu. Genres include conversation, translation, elicitation and narration. Like all ELAR deposits, this material is accessible according to access protocols, and access may require negotiation with the depositor. See also >a href="http://elar.soas.ac.uk/deposit/0046">additional deposit for Yan-nhangu.

This page hosts a downlodable PDF document called Uti Kulintjaku: A compendium of words for talking about mental health. It includes terms in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra, as well as translations from English into these languages.

Animated stories to assist Elders and younger generations in the sharing and preservation of stories that combine Yanyuwa (and other communities’) history, knowledge, poetry, songs, performance and language; "a living archive that is a decolonised space in which communities are happy to see their material stored".

A collaboration between Monash Indigenous Centre and others including IT and animators, this site aims to show “how best to construct a living archive that is a decolonised space in which communities are happy to see their material stored.” It features 8 compelling animations accompanied by voiceovers in Yanyuwa.

Presentation about the long term project documenting the Yanyuwa language and culture through animation that is both culturally appropriate as well as effective for revitalisation. See also Monash Country Lines Archive to view the animations and for further information.

Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen with the Gondwana National Indigenous Children’s Choir performing Waliwaliyangu li-Anthawirriyarra a-Kurija - Saltwater People Song, at the 2011 Deadly Awards in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. See also The Song Peoples Sessions and The Age article.

Issue of Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts with a variety of papers on Yolngu culture and language, including topics such as language learning, translation, and intellectual property.

A 2 year course providing knowledge and skills for culturally informed language work, documentation, maintenance, recovery and revitalisation. Students also learn the basics of an Indigenous language (Yolngu or Arrernte), and understand how language is embedded within culture. The course prepares students for professional practice and further study in language and linguistics, and in Indigenous language planning and policy at local and national levels.

The course provides Indigenous and non-Indigenous students with theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to engage in culturally informed language work, in particular the maintenance, reclamation and revitalisation of Australian Indigenous languages. It includes units in general descriptive and theoretical linguistics, sociolinguistics with particular reference to language and identity, language endangerment and language revitalisation, language planning and policy in relation to Australian Indigenous languages, practical application of linguistic study such as language teaching materials, how languages are embedded within diverse cultural context and cultural ownership, and acc

The author argues that digital forms like databases and metadata are not culturally neutral; they typically opaquely encode assumptions about structure and representation, and how one interacts with them. By revealing these assumptions, Yolngu (Aboriginal) forms of knowledge and literacy can be applied to database design and deployment; however ‘long term, deeply negotiated and collaborative processes where questions of the nature, politics and creation of knowledge remain central.’

A downloadable PDF containing detalled descriptions and translations of legal terms in plain English and in Yol&eng;u Matha. A translation of the The Plain English Legal Dictionary into Djambarrpuy&eng;u, the main Yol&eng;u dialect spoken in the Arnhem Land townships of Galiwin’ku, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi and Ramingining.

Glottolog’s resource page for Gupapuyngu, a Yolngu language of NT. The page shows Gupapuyngu’s location on a map, its place within its language family, and a large number of references for the language (most are harvested from bibliographic sources and the items are not necessarily online). See also the main Glottolog page.

Site with a range of information about Yolngu culture, language, placenames, and about 30 songs. The whole site may be viewed in Yolngu matha, English, or Japanese. Note: the media may require browser plugins.

The Gupapuy&eng;u app is part of the courseware developed for teaching Yol&eng;u languages and culture at Charles Darwin University. It was first released in 2001 as a CD-ROM based application. Version 3.0 has been completely redesigned, with many usability improvements, and updated to run on the latest Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

This project ran from 2003-6 and investigated ‘digital systems which support indigenous people building collective memory’ with a focus on Yolngu peoples. See in particular the publications page for a large number of interesting papers about digital technologies and Aboriginal knowledge.

The ABC, with the help of the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (NT), is trialling an Indigenous language News Service in Warlpiri and Yolngu Matha. Two ABC news bulletins are recorded each weekday. The daily bulletins can be heard on this page, with recent bulletins on SoundCloud, and on some Indigenous radio stations.

The community of Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island want to use their language’s spelling system to write street signs and their own names. Their language, Yol&eng;u Matha (Yolngu language), has a small number of letters not used in standard English (but which are perfectly available in all writing technologies, since they are part of the International Unicode standard). Community members believe their language is being snubbed and weakened, while the NT Place Names Committee argue that only standard English can be used, despite claiming to support a Dual Naming Policy.

A historical film by Film Australia, made in 1975, about the establishment of bilingual programs in NT schools. It shows a bilingual education program in Millingimbi, NT, with commentary by Beulah Lowe. Another segment shows Warlpiri literacy learning in Yuendemu, and Pintupi in Yayayi near Papunya.

Source: Indigemedia Inc, Christensen Fund, South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Australia

The award winning movie Twelve Canoes,directors Rolf de Heer and Peter Djigirr and starring members of the Ramingining community, speaking various Yolngu languages (see Wikipedia entry for more details . You can choose to view in either Yolngu or English. There are additional support materials, a study guide etc.

A short film where members of the Galiwin’u community recount and re-enact in story and song an incident from the 1960’s when six year old twin boys from Elcho Island, were hunting with their family and got lost for 3 days and nights.

CDU teaches tertiary level units in Yolngu languages and culture. Course advisors include senior Yolngu people from Darwin, Milingimbi, Galiwin’ku, Yirrkala, Gapuwiyak, and Ramingining. Courses including Introduction to Yolngu Languages and Culture, and Yolngu Matha conversation can be taken by distance education using the WWW.

Innovative dictionary covering most of the Yolngu languages and providing a variety of search methods, including Fuzzy Search, Filter Find, and English Finderlist. Many of the Yolngu words have audio pronunciation.

A community radio station broadcast in the languages of the Yolngu people, to six communities and 30 homelands in northeast Arnhem Land, Darwin and Palmerston. In many of the homelands Yolngu radio is the only freely available media provider.

The Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) facilitates communication between service providers and Aboriginal people who do not speak English as a first language. The service has 300 registered interpreters covering more than 100 Aboriginal languages and dialects spoken in the Northern Territory. See also map and information about NT Aboriginal languages.

The Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) facilitates communication between service providers and Aboriginal people who do not speak English as a first language. The service has 300 registered interpreters covering more than 100 Aboriginal languages and dialects spoken in the Northern Territory. See also their map and information about NT Aboriginal languages.

Batchelor Press is the publishing arm of Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. Batchelor Institute develops teaching and learning resources primarily for Indigenous students in remote communities, where most students have English as a second or third language. These resources are developed by community elders, students and teaching staff.

Claims that students in NT schools with bilingual programs performed worse than other students in skills tests were used by the NT Government to dismantle bilingual programs in schools. This paper considers - and rejects - those claims.

The Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) produces, broadcasts and sells Indigenous media content, including radio, music and film - many in the languages of the region and also some languages further afield.

A course providing linguistic skills for appropriate and culturally sensitive language documentation, maintenance and language recovery and revitalisation. The course prepares students for community language work and further study in linguistics.

Friends of Bilingual Learning supports the development of the Northern Territory as a multilingual society acknowledging communication through Indigenous languages and English. FOBL formed in 2008 in response to the everyday struggle that Indigenous people experience such as disproportionate representation within the judicial, welfare and health systems, and constant negative media about poor educational attendance and outcomes. The site includes news items and links to materials about multilingualism and Indigenous languages in education.

Publishing and sales of superb texts including Pitjantjatjara/ Yankunytjatjara to English Dictionary, Eastern and Central Arrernte to English Dictionary, Gamilaraay/Yuwaalaraay/Yuwaalayaay to English Dictionary, Learner’s Guide to Warumungu, Pintupi/Luritja Dictionary (3rd Edition), Ngaanyatjara and Ngaatjatjarra to English Dictonary, Central Anmatyerr Picture Dictionary, Kaytetye Picture Dictionary and many more.

The paper argues that the NT government and its education system continue to ignore solid research on best practice education in Indigenous communities. also includes an extensive bibliography on language and education in multilingual societies, many linked to online sources. [PDF]

LAAL (Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages) is a digital archive of endangered literature in Australian languages from the Northern Territory. Much of the literature is language teaching/literacy material created in schools, which is otherwise endangered by the instability of governmental support for mother tongue and bilingual programs. You can search the site by map, placename, language name, author, or category (such as Narrative or Language instruction). The literature materials are beautifully displayed and are viewable and downloadable as PDF or plain text. The site currently holds about 2250 books in 32 languages. Updates are posted on http://laal.cdu.edu.au/

The Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages has literature in over 25 languages from across the Northern Territory. This Android and iOS app enables users to download items from the archive, store them, and play them any time.

Regularly updated blog by ‘that munanga linguist’* on a range of topics related to Indigenous languages (mostly NT languages) and related matters, often entertaining and of current-affairs interest. See also Greg Dickson’s page on Academic.au.

Police have jumped on the app paddywagon and have produced an app in collaboration with the Aboriginal Interpreter Service, with versions of police cautions in 18 languages to help Aboriginal people understand their rights when they are apprehended. WA police are now also developing such an app.

The future of the discontinued NT bilingual education programs is an issue of national and international concern. This article analyses the status and future of bilingual education programs in remote NT schools. It explains why bilingual education is so contested, resulting in the current unresolved compromise in schools and a political stalemate.